Charaka Samhita
          Source Documents for Maharishi's Vedic Approach to Health

The Importance of Reading Vedic Literature in Sanskrit:

Maharishi in his recent book Vedic Knowledge for Everyone:  Maharishi Vedic University Introduction, brings out two programs for realization of his Absolute Theory of Education through realization of the Veda--the state of pure knowledge, total knowledge--in Transcendental Consciousness:
"1. Reading the Vedic Literature in sequence is the procedure to spontaneously train the brain physiology and the whole physiology of speech to function in the most orderly way so that every thought, speech and action is spontaneously promoted in the evolutionary direction of Natural Law, and thereby spontaneously enjoys full support of the evolutionary quality of intelligence that upholds order and evolution in the entire universe.
"2.  Practicing Transcendental Meditation and thereby researching in the field of consciousness is the procedure to spontaneously enliven the total potential of intelligence in human physiology and train the physiology to function in the most natural way, in the most orderly manner, according to Natural Law--daily experiencing self-referral consciousness in order that the infinite organizing power of one's own Transcendental Consciousness (one's own nature, one's own simplest form of awareness, the nature of one's Self) becomes the guiding light of every thought and action, promoting success in every undertaking and actualizing and spontaneously engaging the infinite organizing power of the Unified Field of Natural Law, as indicated by the expression of Rik Veda: 1:158.6: "For those who are established in the singularity of fully awake, self-referral consciousness, Brahma, the Creator--the infinite organizing power of Natural Law--becomes the charioteer of all their activity."

Charaka Samhita is the quality of intelligence in Rik Veda which balances, holds together and supports.  According to Dr. Tony Nader, in Human Physiology: Expression of Veda and the Vedic Literature, this character of "balancing, holding together and supporting" is expressed in the nucleus of every cell in the body.

        "Charaka Samhita represents the holding together (cha) of Ra and Ka--dynamism and silence.  Its quality is nourishing and supporting."

The nucleus of the cell contains the intelligence value of the cell which is responsible for the maintenance and evolution of the cell.  The nucleus of the cell responds to signals from the environment of challenges facing the cell by transcribing the appropriate genes contained within its bank of chromosomes in order to produce needed enzymes and catalysts that in turn orchestrate the response of the cytoplasm and cell organelles so that balance is maintained in all circumstances.   The encoded knowledge contained within the DNA that makes up the genes arranged on the chromosomes functions to maintain the life of the cell, and intelligently holds together all the parts in perfect balance under all circumstances.

There are eight main sections or Sthanas in Charaka Samhita.

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1.  Sutrasthana
2.  Nidanasthana
3.  Vimanasthana
4.  Sharirasthana
5.  Indriyasthana
6.  Chikitsasthana  Chapters 1-15,  16-30
7.  Kalpasthana
8.  Siddhisthana